Five Tips for Stress-free Wedding Planning

Planning your wedding can be one of the happiest times in your life. It can also be one the most stressful. Here are 5 quick tips to try to take some of the stress out of the process.

1. Lists are your friend. Make lists of everything. They let you see all the things you still need to do and, at the same time, give you a sense of accomplishment by letting you see all the things you have already checked off. With so much to keep track of, it is important that you stay organized. Keep lists for appointment dates, things you need to buy, any questions that you need to ask various vendors, due dates for deposits, etc. You need to categorize everything so it is clear and easy to understand. If organization is not your thing, consider asking someone to help you, like your mom, a responsible friend, or if you are so inclined, a wedding planner.

2. Enlist the help of your friends. If you appoint bridesmaides, this part is pretty easy. As part of their traditional duties they are be responsible for certain tasks. If you decide not to include attendants in your wedding, as is common at many smaller affairs, the task of delegating duties becomes slightly more difficult. Your friends are busy people too, but for the most part, they will be happy, even excited, to help you get ready for your big day. One thing that is a big help is to have a friend stuff and address the envelopes for you. This may seem like a small task, but believe me each little detail that you do not have to worry about will take a huge weight off your shoulders.

3. Plan meetings with two different vendors on the same day. There are going to be A LOT of different vendors you will have to meet with in order to iron out the details for your wedding day--photographers, caterers, DJs, etc. If you work full-time or have chosen to have the wedding in another city, it can be hard to find enough free time to fit them all in. The way to combat this problem is to pack the meetings into a few, manageable days. Make sure you allow enough time with each vendor though. Feeling rushed can lead to rash decision-making and add to the already high level of stress you are experiencing. You want to avoid this. When you are setting up your meetings, be sure to ask each individual vendor how much time they would recommend setting aside for a meeting. The people at these companies do this kind of thing everyday so they know what to expect. Try to schedule meetings that are going to be shorter earlier in the day. This way you will have plenty of time to make it to your next meeting and won't have to worry about it running long.

4. You deserve the best. While it is important to pick your battles wisely, the battles that you do pick, must be faced head on. Remember though, that when you are talking to someone about a mistake that was made, it is most likely not his or her fault. People will respond better to you if you treat them with respect. Explain your problem calmly and clearly. If you feel that you are not receiving the appropriate response, it is probably best to discontinue the interaction and try again later. Also, write down the names of people that you talk to from each company. You can use them in conversation, say things like, "When I spoke to Janet earlier...". This will make people feel like you will remember them, and they will want to serve you the best way possible.

5. Don't sweat the small stuff. Remember, this is supposed to be fun!!! When you look back on planning your wedding, you should have fond memories. There are going to be things throughout this process that are going to go wrong, that is just a fact of life, but if you let every little problem get to you, it will drive you crazy. So here is what you do: allow yourself a certain amount of time to freak out about something. When that time is up, you must suck it up and move on to figuring out how to rectify the problem. At the end of the day, you are marrying the person that you love. All you can do is plan the best wedding within your reach. Your wedding is one day, it is all the days after that are truly important.